Dreamland Ballroom/Taborian Hall

800 West 9th Street
Little Rock AR 72201

Phone: 501.255.5700
Contact: Kerry McCoy
Email: [email protected]

Completed in 1918 and now on the National Register of Historic Places, for decades Taborian Hall (with its third-floor Dreamland Ballroom) was the civic and cultural center of Little Rock's thriving Black commercial district on West 9th Street; in its heyday, Dreamland hosted dozens of renowned musicians, including such notables as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie, along with such Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame members as Al Hibbler, Louis Jordan, and Jimmy Witherspoon.  Since 1992, a historic preservation project has been underway to restore and renovate the site so that it can serve as both a historical museum and contemporary performance venue.  By 2012 sufficient progress had been made for the ballroom to be rented for various types of events.  On 1 May 2013 (5-8 pm), a celebratory event (free and open to the public) was held; in addition to filming of the AETN Dreamland documentary and the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation's live session featuring distinguished musicians connected to Dreamland, the evening included a brick dedication ceremony, Temple of Dreams book signing, AETN oral history booth, tours, and dance lessons/demonstrations by the Little Rock Bop Club.  Details and photos related to the venue's history, preservation project, events, and rentals are provided on Dreamland Ballroom's Facebook page and websites (www.dreamlandballroom.org, www.dreamlandballroom.com).